Drink A Beer
by brandtfan
Summary: It took a lot for Commander Steven J. McGarrett, former highly trained NAVY SEAL to be speechless. Even in his current job as head of the Government of Hawaii's elite task force, Five 0, he was never left not knowing what to say. But nothing he had encountered in his former or current positions, no matter the mission, or security clearance level given had prepared him for this.
1. Chapter 1

This is a oneshot split into two chapters. (Does that make it a twoshot? ) Anyway, the inspiration for this one hit me on a midnight bus on the way to start my vacation a few weeks ago. I was too excited to sleep, and somehow that translated into this story. But, I love it and hope you do too :)

A little background on the song - Luke Bryan has lost both his siblings, his brother in 1997 in a car accident, and his sister in 2007 from unknown causes. This song struck very closely to him and thus his decision to record it. He dedicated his performance of it at the 2013 CMA's to his siblings, and it's a tear jerking, beautiful performance I encourage anyone to watch. Here's the lyrics, then the first of the two parts.

DRINK A BEER-LUKE BRYAN Written by: Jim Stevens & Chris Stapleton

When I got the news today

I didn't know what to say

So I just hung up the phone

I took a walk to clear my head

And this is where the walking lead

Can't believe you're really gone

Dont feel like going home

CHORUS

So I'm gonna sit right here

On the edge of this pier

Watch the sunset disappear

And drink a beer

Funny how the good ones go

Too soon but the good Lord knows

The reasons why I guess

Sometimes the greater plan

Is kinda hard to understand

Right now it don't make sense

I can't make it all make sense

CHORUS

So long my friend

Until we meet again

I'll remember you

And all the times that we used to

CHORUS

It took a lot for Commander Steven J. McGarrett, former highly trained NAVY SEAL to be speechless. Even in his current job as head of the Government of Hawaii's elite task force, Five 0, he was never left not knowing what to say. But nothing he had encountered in his former or current positions, no matter the mission, or security clearance level given to him had prepared him for this.

He awoke that breezy, May morning feeling eager, and excited. For the last eight months, Steve had been dealing with his partner and best friend's anxiety about his daughter attending university on the mainland. It was all Steve could do to get Danny to talk about something else for the first few months she was gone. And it didn't change much after that, either.  
>Grace was Danny's world, and the fact that she was grown up enough to go traveling to the mainland to visit her mom for a few weeks was hard enough on him. But for her to be gone for eight months, Steve knew, Danny could hardly handle.<p>

But the day Danny, and by extension, Steve had been waiting for since saying goodbye to her the previous fall was finally here. Danny had flown back a few days earlier to help her gather her things, and they were both headed back to the islands that morning.

Steve was excited to see Grace too, so waking up that morning knowing he'd be picking them up in mere hours after all those months made him wish he could speed up time somehow.

However, it wasn't long before that was the last thing he would have wished for.

"So did Danny say how long he's taking off for, Boss?" Kono asked, as her, Chin Ho and Steve sat around their conference table a few hours later.

Steve shook his head. "Nah, I told him he has to have earned at least a month by now, so unless we really need him, he's gonna take at least that."

Chin chuckled. "I think he was more relieved Grace was done her first year than she was."

Steve and Kono laughed too. "Yeah, no kidding." Kono added.

Steve leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table. "You know, if I had a nickel for everytime he talked about how excited he was to have her home, I think I could've paid for her entire four years of university."

They all laughed, and nodded along not realizing someone had walked into their office as he said it.  
>"I don't know about that, Uncle Steve. Have you seen the cost of tuition and books lately?" Grace, a tall, slim, beautiful young woman stood before them beaming widely.<p>

"Grace!" Steve swung his legs off the table and leapt up to hug her instantly. "What are you doing here so early?!"

She continued to smile and hug her father's friends and coworkers as she talked. "Danno and I had to split up because the flight we had was overbooked, so I got the earlier one."

"Ohh, it's so good to see you kiddo," Chin hugged her as Steve snorted.

"So in other words, Danno cheaped out and bought super discount tickets not realizing it was because the flight was already full." He shook his head as he said, knowing his partner all too well.

"Pretty much," Grace nodded and laughed as she hugged Kono. "But, I'm not complaining."

"It gave you a peaceful flight, I bet." Chin winked.

Without missing a beat, Grace nodded and replied. "Exactly. I mean, it is really great to be back home after so long, but I don't need to hear about his plans for the entire summer all in one sitting." she teased.

"And at any point, did he mention he was excited you were coming home?" Steve also teased. They all laughed, knowing what the answer was already.

"Mmm, a time or two hundred." She replied. They laughed some more before being interrupted by Steve's phone ringing.

Looking at the number, he excused himself to his office, and answered it. "McGarrett." he answered as he always did. "Yes sir, we'll be right there." he replied to the caller, said goodbye, hung up, and headed back out the conference table with the unfortunate job of breaking up the reunion.

"Hate to do this guys, but we just got a case." He saw the look of disappointment in Chin, Kono, and Grace's faces. "Sorry Grace, we're gonna have to cut welcome home party short."

"Oh, that's okay." She said, looking at her watch. "I was planning on meeting some friends for some surfing on the North Shore in a couple hours anyway, I'll head home and unpack a bit and then head out."

"Ooh, I'm jealous." Kono commented. Do you need a ride?" she asked, as they all headed towards the doors.

"Nah, I took a taxi over to the house, so I dropped my bags off and then hopped in Danno's car." she explained. "I'm good."

"Wait," Steve stopped just before opening the main doors to their office, causing everyone else to stop behind him. "Danno let you drive his car?" he asked, curiously. He stood with crossed arms, using the best of his intimidation through body language skill.

"Well," Grace smirked, turning to face him. "Not exactly. BUT he did tell me that under no terms was I to allow you to drive me anywhere in it, so I took that as his understanding that I'll be driving myself around in it today."

Chin and Kono shared a smile as they followed behind.

"Huh." Steve replied. His previously disapproving facial expression quickly became a smirk before he opened the door for everyone. "Sneaky. I like it." He gave Grace props as the group headed outside. "You still up for dinner at the Hilton after we get back from the airport?" he asked as they headed to the vehicles.

"Wouldn't miss it!" She chimed as she got into the camaro and revved the engine. "See you there!" She waved and promptly pulled out with a roar.

"Would you look at that," Chin remarked as he and Steve climbed into Steve's truck. He noticed as he got in that Steve's eyes were slightly glossy. "Steve, are you crying?" he prodded his boss and friend.

"What? No." Steve denied, conveniently very interested in something outside the driver's window, keeping his face from Chin's view. But he knew he was already caught.

"Wait, is it because you're so happy Grace is home, or because you're sad she gets to drive Danno's car and you don't?" he laughed, as Steve cleared his throat and headed out of the parking lot, with Kono close behind.

Seven hours and one caught perpertraitor later, the team had dispersed and gone home. Steve however, had made a quick pit stop to pick up some celebratory beers for him and Danny later. He was just getting back into the truck when his phone rang. Feeling like he should recognize the number, he answered as he always did. "McGarrett."

"Commander Steve McGarrett?" The unknown woman's voice asked, sounding oddly professional, yet warm.

"Yes, who am I speaking with?" He asked, curtly. He was feeling slightly on alert and this conversation already felt slightly off to him.

"Commander McGarrett, my name is Breanna. I'm a nurse here at St. Michael's Hospital in Rutherford, New Jersey. I'm so sorry to be calling you right now." she paused.

It was a Jersey area code, Steve realized. There was the familiarity. At the same time as realizing that, he realized why she was calling him. "What happened to Danny? Is he okay?" He asked quickly, hoping to skip over what he expected next. However, what he got was something infintely worse than he could've ever imagined.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the rest of the story. I got a handful of reviews asking (and a few begging) me not to kill Danny. All I'm gonna say is I'm sorry in advance.. lol. Let it be known that I love Danny and would be absolutely heartbroken if anything really happened to him. I never imagined myself writing anything that involved any of the core four dying, but...here it is. Be prepared. And as always, please read and review. Even if it is just to say how much you hate me for doing this. lol ;)

* * *

><p>"Commander McGarrett, I have to let you know that we reached out to Mr. Williams' daughter, Grace but she has not been receiving our phone calls." Steve sat there in his truck, already in denial about what was about to happen. The nurse continued, however. "So as you are listed as his next of kin after her, we are obligated to inform you-"<p>

As if he was no longer in control of his body, Steve dropped his phone. He inadvertently hit 'end call' as it bounced off the console and onto the floor at his feet. He knew what she was going to say, and he knew hearing it would make it real, as if somehow he could stop it from already being history. He'd been around enough people placing those calls, and had placed a few himself in his SEAL days to know what a typical reaction was, and this instance was no different.

He was completely without words. Almost without thoughts, even. Just numb. After what felt like several hours but was really only thirty minutes staring out at the beach and water that their favourite beer spot looked out at, Steve finally was able to move enough to get out of the truck. He still had the beer in his hand, but he didn't even notice.

"Hey man, you okay?" Some kids who had been sitting at a table nearby asked. "You were just sittin' there, starin' for the last like, half an hour." Steve didn't even look to see which kid had said it. Then another voice piped up.

"Yeah brah, we thought you checked out or somethin'." He said as Steve walked past him, still not even acknowledging someone had spoken to him. "You gonna drink that man?" another asked. After watching him walk to the beach, they shook their heads and went back to their previous conversation.

It wasn't until he felt the water on his feet that Steve felt like he was in his own body again. He vaguely remembered hearing someone use the phrase 'checking out' or something like that. For the first time since answering that phone call, he felt like he was breathing. He began walking down the beach, all with the beer in his hand still. As he walked, it was like the last half hour of being completely shut off had caught up with him and his mind was going a million miles a minute.

Truth was, he had no idea what happened to Danny. He just knew he was gone. Gone forever, and he was the only one out here that knew. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was playing some sort of cruel joke on him. Although he knew that wasn't the case. He knew it was real, but he just couldn't believe it. Was he going to have to tell Grace? He didn't know. Would her mother know? Was she there, at the hospital? Or worse, was Rachel involved too? He had nothing but questions, and no answers at all. What was he going to do? It wasn't a regular feeling for Steve to not know what to do in a situation. After running through a myriad of scenarios in his mind, the only conclusion he came to was that he didn't feel like going home. He looked down the beach, and in the distance saw the pier where Danny had learned to surf over a decade earlier. Walking towards it, he was able to do some albeit slightly, more clear thinking. He knew he was going to have to fight the denial of it for a while, but he'd been through these situations enough to know he needed to find a way to deal with it. Do what he needed to do; tell the people who looked to him as a leader and pillar of strength. As he got to the end of that pier, he didn't know what was going to happen. But he knew he'd try his best to help everyone deal with this horrible, tragic turn of events. He'd done it a million times before for other people. The difference was, this time he was the one who was hurting.

Before he knew it, four of the six beer bottles in the pack he had were gone. The crowds he could see down the beach had come and gone, and he realized it was time to go face the truth and do what he needed to do. He got up and started the long walk back to his truck with the sun behind him.

When he went to get in, he realized his phone was still on the floor. He picked it up to see twenty one phone calls and almost as many texts. Mostly from Chin, Kono, and a call from Rachel. He didn't know if that meant she knew, or if she called him because she couldn't reach Grace either. He hoped her calling meant she wasn't involved and was safe. He noticed a text from Grace. She had let him know which beach she was on, and that she would be a little late for dinner, but she promised she'd be there. And just like her father, Grace Williams never made a promise she couldn't keep. It made Steve heartbroken all over again to realize she still didn't know. Feeling like he still didn't have answers to any of his questions, Steve slammed his fist into the steering wheel multiple times. In that moment the man who had seen things no one else has ever imagined was more angry and frustrated than he had ever been before in his life. He was someone who had spent his entire career doing whatever it took to protect people from danger, and saving the day for so many. And here he was, helpless. Able to do absolutely nothing to stop, or change, what will be the worst moments of Grace Williams' life. Her life was about to completely crumble around her, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He wished he was with her to give her to biggest, warmest hug he could. He wnated so badly to protect her from what was coming, even though he knew there was nothing he could do to change what had already happened.

Steve took much of the aggression he had out on the open roads of Hawaii as he drove back to his house where Chin and Kono had let him know they'd be. The drive there he couldn't help but let the questions in his mind drive him wild. Getting into the driveway, Steve turned the engine off and sat silently. As far as he could tell, Grace wasn't there. He was somehow relieved, and angry at the same time. It was then that he knew he was in over his head with this one. With all the close calls him and Danny had in their decade plus as a team, never once did Steve actually think they wouldn't be running Five 0 together until they were old and crabby. Or, more crabby in Danny's case, thought Steve. He felt himself smile, before it was crushed by the flood of memories as he got out of the truck and walked up to his house. He opened the door, and pictured the time Danno slept on his couch for a few weeks.

Danny wasn't the one sitting on the couch when he opened the door though. And he never would be again. The realization hit Steve like a wall as Kono put her arms around him. He managed to set the two beers left down by the door before her arms engulfed him. He'd also caught a flash of how wet her cheeks were. Before he could get himself out of his own mind, he hugged back as tightly as he could.

"Steve," Chin came into the living room from the kitchen with a sullen look on his face. Once Kono was done, he too brought Steve in for a comforting hug. "We're here, man. As long as you need."  
>Steve nodded gratefully as they separated. "Has Grace..?" he trailed off, although his voice was gruff due to the fact that he hadn't uttered a word aloud since talking to the nurse almost three hours previous.<p>

"We haven't heard from her, we were hoping you had." Kono spoke up in a slow quiet tone.

Steve shook his head. "She must still be surfing. Kapoe Beach." he explained.

He watched the understanding sink into Kono and Chin's faces. "There's almost no service there which means.." Kono's voice changed as she trailed off.

"Which means she doesn't know yet." Chin finished the sentence for his cousin, as she started to cry again. "Did Rachel call you?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't have my phone." Steve explained. "I got the call from the nurse at the hospital because they couldn't get Grace." he took a big, deep breath in. "What happened?" he asked, feeling dizzy and nauseous. How they knew didn't matter; he needed someone to explain this to him over anything else. He still had the voice in his head telling him Danny was about to jump out of a closet and yell 'Gotcha!', but he did his best to squash it.

"Duke sent me the report. Danny's taxi hit the guard rail on the way to the airport. He and the driver were both thrown from the car and landed in oncoming traffic." Chin explained, as calmly as he could make his voice stay.

"Oh God, did he-!" Steve started, but was quickly interrupted by Chin.

"No, no. He wasn't hit." He shook his head. "The impact killed him instantly, Steve. He didn't suffer at all."

Steve felt the rage again, as if knowing his best friend had died a quick death was supposed to somehow make the situation better. "And the driver?" he asked, even though he had a good idea already.

"Well, we haven't heard anything since the initial report, but he was air lifted to hospital and was in ICU after undergoing surgery to try to save his spine.

Steve's mind had entered the beast mode it traveled to when they worked on a case. He was out for answers, and wouldn't lose focus until he had them. "Seat belts. Was Danny wearing his?" He knew his partner's stance on the safety device, but he had to ask anyway.

"Yes." Chin confirmed his suspicions. "Like I said, we haven't heard anything yet since the initial report, but I told Duke we want to be updated on everything as they go along." He put his hand on Steve's shoulder. "Look, Steve." He'd seen enough of this laser focus the McGarrett men had in his time to know what was going on. "Right now it doesn't make sense, and we'll never know why. So try not not to beat yourself up over it, okay? I know you want to figure this all out, and you think that'll get him back. But only the good Lord knows why. It's hard to understand now, but try to remember he's in a good place now." He backed off, recognizing another McGarrett look in Steve's eyes.

Without other warning, Steve swatted at a small lamp on the end table, causing it to hit the floor with a smashing sound. "It was too soon! He was too good for this! He was one of the good guys, Chin! The reasons why mean NOTHING to me!" He registered the scared look on Kono's face, but was too deep into at that moment to care. He was full on enraged now. Steve felt his pulse quicken and he could see his own chest heaving as his friends and close confidants stood there before him. "We see guys all the time get out of jail for good behaviour, or even the ones who get to sit there and get weekly visits with their families for the rest of their lives. And WHAT ABOUT DANNY? What does he get? What does Grace get? The rest of her life, without a father completely!""So SCREW this 'greater plan BS! Right now it doesn't make sense." It one fell swoop Steve felt himself come down from his moment. He sunk into his chair, and started weeping. "I can't make it all make sense." He had his head in his hands, as his sobs filled the silence in the room. After a few seconds, Steve heard the front door quietly open. Chin and Kono had stepped outside, giving him some time alone. Once he heard the door close behind them, he looked up at it. When he lifted his head, he realized how hard he'd been crying due to how wet his hands were. All he wanted was for Danny to be there, walking in the door with some wise crack about how all that liquid would make him rust if he wasn't careful.

Steve took a few deep breaths, and went to the kitchen for some water. Looking out at his backyard and the two chairs him and Danny filled so often, he decided to grab the two beers from the living room and head down to the water.

He sat there for a while, reflecting. He thought about the empty chair beside him. Although others had sat in it, he always considered it to be Danny's chair. He thought about his conversation with Grace about the prized Camaro. He wanted to make sure it became her car. He wished he'd let Danny drive it more, he realized then. He wasn't a man of regrets, but in that moment, Steve couldn't help but think about the things he wished he'd done differently regarding Danny. He thought about how they hadn't gotten along so well at the beginning. How Danny had resisted just about everything island life was all about. He started to think about how that had changed over the course of his time in Hawaii. And how Danny would never admit it, but he was adjusted to life there and had been for some time. It made him angry all over again, thinking about why Danny's time to go was now. He didn't stop himself from wondering aloud. If he had close neighbours, they would've thought he was talking to the birds as he didn't shy away from using his full voice to speak these thoughts out loud.

Why, when he had finally stopped complaining about the humidity on a daily basis, and how he had learned to accept that a little pineapple on a pizza wasn't the worst food in the world. It had been Grace, at seventeen who had finally convinced him of that. Steve smiled, for only the second or third time that day thinking about how dedicated Danny had been to giving Grace the upbringing she deserved, and that would help her as she grew into an independent woman. The woman she's quickly becoming now, Steve realized. He admired how it was a no brainer to Danny to move to such a pineapple infested hell hole, as he had called Hawaii early on, because it was where his daughter was. That lead him to think about just how grown Grace was now. And how hard it was for Danny, trying not to show her how much her not needing him every day killed him inside. And not going overboard expressing how proud of her he was. Although, there wasn't a person on Oahu that didn't know just how proud Danny Williams was of his daughter. And for good reason, Steve knew. Now here she was, finished her first year of university, setting her sights on being a big time lawyer someday.

It hurt Steve all over again to come to the realization that Danny would not be there for her graduation, her bar exam, her first big case, any of it. Being there for as many moments of her life as he could was all Danny ever cared about. If it wasn't for that, they would have never met. He sat back, taking in the sun setting in front of him as he had an epiphany.

While Steve still had so many unanswered questions, and still so much pain, he oddly felt a little bit of peace with that. He was going to do exactly what Danny had wanted. He was going to be there for Grace at every stop. Everything she ever needed, every moment in her life, he was going to be there for her, and for Danny.

Steve realized that was his calling in all of this. While he still wanted all the information and details, he knew taking care of Grace was his true job, until him and Danny met again, somewhere off in that promise land.

Before he could stop himself, Steve grabbed the second last beer, opened it, and held it up in front of the sunset as he watched it disappear. "So long, my friend. Until we meet again." Just as he was about to lower the bottle to his lips, he heard foot steps in the grass behind him.

"I'll drink to that." He heard the sweet, not so little anymore voice speak up as she got to the empty chair beside him.

"Grace," Steve stood up and wrapped his arms around her. He wished he could cover every part of her, as if that was some sort of way to shield her and make things better. After a long time, they finally slowly separated as Steve kissed her temple. "You heard all that huh?" he asked, finally really looking at her as they both sat down. He knew she'd been crying and that made it even more difficult to fight off his own again. The first test in being strong for her, he realized.

"I did." She nodded. "And I think if he knew I was sitting here about to drink a beer with you, he'd lose it."

Steve nodded, knowing just how right she was. "Oh, imagine the rant he'd go on." He added, looking over at Grace in just enough time to see one side of her lip curl up slightly.

"Probably more mad than the time he learned you scratched his car in that parking lot at Hanauma Bay." she said, meeting his eyes with a wink.

While he was overwhelmed with grief and sadness for Grace once again, Steve couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at that memory. He had been teaching Grace to drive using Danny's car, completely unbeknownst to him.

"I don't think I'll ever forget that day." She really smiled at the thought before taking a swig of that last beer.

"I know I won't." Steve replied, after taking a swig himself. "He was so protective over you, he loved you more than he's ever loved anything else." he knew Grace knew that already, but it needed to be said.

She nodded, knowing it too. "He'd say the same about you, you know." She added. "Well," she amended her statement with a content smile, "I'm not sure he would use the word _love _exactly, but.." They both smiled and allowed themselves a small laugh at that. Just as he had for her, Grace needed to make sure Steve knew how Danny felt about him too.

"Sometimes I thought he was being too protective, but I understand now." She started to sniffle as she set her beer on the sand in front of her chair.

Steve reached over and rubbed her back some. "You know, I do too." he agreed. "I used to think he was over doing it when he talked about how I was going to need to look out for you, eventually." He stopped, knowing if he continued he'd lose the fight against his emotions too.

After he stopped, there was no conversation for a few minutes until Grace surprised Steve by reaching down for her beer and raising it in the air. "To Danno. We'll remember all the times that we had, and we'll continue to make new ones, just like you would've wanted. Starting right now, drinking this beer."

"We'll drink a beer for you, buddy." Steve added as they clinked bottles and drank together. Steve couldn't think of a more fitting way to end this day, as him and Grace watched the sun finish setting, and reminiscing about all the times they had with Detective Danny Williams.


End file.
